Youth Justice Service; YJS Officer

Are you passionate about helping children make positive changes in their lives? Do you want a role where your work has a direct, meaningful impact on children, victims, families and the wider community?

Our Youth Justice & Support Team (YJST) supports children who have offended or are at risk of offending. We work creatively and collaboratively to help them understand the triggers behind their behaviour, overcome challenges/barriers and move toward safer, more hopeful futures. We’re looking for a committed individual who shares this purpose and who thrives in a fast‑paced, multi‑agency environment.

This is a fixed term/secondment position until 31st March 2028

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

As a YJS Officer, you will work closely with children, their families, victims and partner agencies to reduce offending and improve life outcomes. You’ll be responsible for engaging children, assessing safety, developing effective intervention plans and supporting children to thrive and build safety, avoiding future harm. A key role of the YJS Officer is to ensure safety of persons harmed.

A key part of your role will be completing detailed assessments, preparing high‑quality reports and presenting them in various settings, including Referral Order panels, multi‑agency meetings and court. You will supervise and monitor children through voluntary, out of court, community or custodial interventions, ensuring individualised plans are delivered to address underlying needs and focus on developing future positive self.

You’ll deliver interventions based on evidence‑based practice, helping children learn new skills, repair harm and build stronger relationships. Many children face challenges such as trauma, exploitation, family conflict, school disengagement or emotional difficulties. Your approach will need to be empathetic, creative, flexible and focused on building trust.

The role requires close collaboration with schools, police, social care, health and community organisations. You will be part of a duty rota, responding to urgent tasks such as bail assessments or acting as an Appropriate Adult when needed. Some evening and weekend work is required to meet the needs of the service and the children we support.

You’ll be someone who genuinely believes in the potential of children, even when they are facing significant challenges. You need to be confident, resilient and creative in your problem‑solving. Strong communication skills are essential—as you will engage with children, parents, professionals, courts and senior partners.

You’ll be organised, able to work to deadlines and comfortable managing a varied and sometimes emotionally demanding workload. Experience working directly with children or families is essential, especially in settings where safety and vulnerability may be present.

You will also need to be committed to accurate record‑keeping, safeguarding, equality and high professional standards. A relevant degree or equivalent qualification is required, and further youth justice or related training is an advantage. As the role involves travel across the county, you must have access to a vehicle and be willing to work flexibly, including some evenings or weekends. An Enhanced DBS with Barred List check is essential due to the nature of the work.

Closing date
:
Midnight on Sunday 22nd March

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of…